Improvement in shoes



PATENT OFFICE.'

EREDEIex MEEKLE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,732, dated February20, 1.866.

To all whom lt may concern.:

Be it known that I, FREDRICK MERKLE, of New York, oi New York county, inthe State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shoes for Gentlemens and Ladies Wear; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication.

My invent-ion relates to ,a new method of making shoes, and isapplicable to almost every variety of shoes for both ladies andgentlemen.

Previous to my invention it has been customary to make the hind partofthe upper or ankle part of the shoe in two parts sewed together at theback or in a'vertical line over the center of the back of the heel.

This method of forming the back part ofthe upper of shoes has beenuniversally followed to best of my knowledge, because it has beensimpler to cut out two pieces,lwhich could be sewed together, so as toconform to the back part and sides of the ankle of the foot than toshape a single piece to it; but experience has taught that this backseam, being subjected to great strain, is generally the iirst part ofthe shoe to give way or burst ont, and this objection has heretoforeexisted to a very great eX- tent in all classes ofshoes.

I have found that a piece of leather can be readily crimped and shapedto correspond to the back part and sides of the ankle; and my inventionconsists in making' the back part of the upperin one single piece,crimped or shaped (either by machinery or hand-tools) to correspond tothe shape of the back portion ofthe heel and ankle of the foot, as willbe hereinafter more fully explained.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe my improved shoe, referring by letters to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figures land 2 are side elevation andback view of a shoe-upper made after my invention, and Figs. 3 and 4similar views of another pattern of shoe embracing my improvement.

In Figs.l and 2, A represents the ,hind and vof an upper of a gentscongress-gaiter.

side portion of the upperof a `gentlemans laced shoe, and B the frontand toe portion of same.

, In Figs. 3 and 4 Al is the back portion of the ankle part, Cheel-piece, and B toe-piece, A2 is the ordinary elastic. f

The piece A in Figs. l and 2 and the piece A in Figs. 3 and 4 are eachformed as in one single piece of leather, molded, crimped, or'

shaped up to correspond to the form of the ankle and heel portion of thefoot before put into the shoe.

I am aware that the portion C has been made in one piece; but this partof the shoe is always of a regular form, so that .a single piece willform it without any previous preparation, and by being` simply'bentround; but I am not aware that the back portion of the upper part of theupper, which involves a combination of irregular curves, andrequires,there fore, to be molded or crimped, has ever been made in onepiece as described.

I am also aware that shoes have been made of different kinds of soft andpliable material which readily admitted of being bent round in onepieceand conforming itself sufliciently to the foot and ankle of the wearer',but I have not known any instance where an attempt has been madeprevious to my invention to mold and crimp a piece of leather or othersimilarlystift' material into the proper shape to constitute the entireback portion of the shoe-upper.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, the formation of ashoe with the back part ofthe upper in one piece; but,

Having fully explained my invention, what I claim as a new article ofmanufacture, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A leather shoe having its upper crimped and formed of a single piece atthe rear, as hereinbefore specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day ofDecember, 1865.

FREDRIOK MERKLE.

In presence of- ANDREW I. TODD, J. MoIN'rrRE.

